Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Strategy for April 10
There are too many games (12) tonight to waste your time with silly introductions. Let's get right into it.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Russell Westbrook | vs. Sac | $11,600 | Isaiah Thomas | @ Cle | $5,900 | |
| Tyreke Evans | vs. Pho | $7,700 | Zach LaVine | @ LAL | $5,900 | |
| Elfrid Payton | vs. Tor | $7,500 | Ray McCallum | @ OKC | $4,700 | |
| Jordan Clarkson | vs. Min | $6,800 |
Russell Westbrook ($12,300) vs. Kings
I see this game playing out in one of two ways.
Scenario 1: Westbrook, with his me-against-the-world attitude, attacks the basket with fury and leads the Thunder in points and assists. He shoots a nice percentage, sets up Enes Kanter for some easy dunks, and finds open shooters with leaping cross-court looks. He records his league-leading 11th triple-double and sits for the fourth quarter because the Thunder are up 92-69 after three.
Scenario 2: Westbrook, with his me-against-the-world attitude, attacks the basket with fury and leads the Thunder in points and assists. But his jump shot isn't falling and his gambles on defense hurt his team's chances of blowing out an inferior team in an uptempo game. The Kings remain close and Westbrook piles up a mass of inefficient stats. He plays 41 minutes and the Thunder squeak out a narrow victory.
Either way, Russ is getting his numbers. Book it.
The Thunder are 42-36, the same record as New Orleans, but they are currently sitting behind the Pelicans by way of tiebreaker. The Thunder will make or miss the playoffs because of Westbrook. Of that I am sure.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Monta Ellis | @ Den | $6,700 | J.R. Smith | vs. Bos | $5,800 | |
| Bradley Beal | @ Bkn | $6,300 | Anthony Morrow | vs. Sac | $4,600 | |
| Kevin Martin | @ LAL | $6,000 | O.J. Mayo | @ NYK | $3,800 | |
| Khris Middleton | @ NYK | $5,800 |
Monta Ellis ($6,400) vs. Nuggets
Monta Ellis has a legitimate gripe with the referees. According to NBA.com, Ellis is 11th in the league in total drives and eighth in total points on his drives. More drives generally lead to more free-throw attempts. However, Ellis ranks just 34th in the league in total free throws attempted.
Now, some of that disparity can be explained by the lack of big men that drive to the hoop. For instance, Anthony Davis is nowhere near the top of the league in drives per game, but he's attempted 124 more free throws this season than Ellis. Davis, like most NBA bigs, doesn't have to rely on driving to draw contact and shoot the subsequent free throws. Ellis does.
To boot, Ellis is an acrobat and a contortionist. He is so athletic and composed that sometimes when he does get contacted in mid air, he takes the bump so casually that the ref might be fooled into swallowing his whistle.
Regardless of the refs, Ellis should go off tonight in Denver. Per RotoGrinders.com, the Nuggets have allowed the most fantasy points in the league to opposing shooting guards over the last three weeks.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Kawhi Leonard | @ Hou | $8,000 | Wesley Johnson | vs. Min | $4,900 | |
| Rudy Gay | @ OKC | $7,500 | Omri Casspi | @ OKC | $4,800 | |
| Andrew Wiggins | @ LAL | $6,800 | T.J. Warren | @ NO | $3,500 | |
| Tobias Harris | vs. Tor | $6,600 |
I would love both LeBron and Rudy Gay if I knew they were playing tonight. But King James "hinted" that he might not play to his buddy (and esteemed ESPN columnist) Brian Windhorst.
Gay has been in and out of the Kings lineup with a concussion, but he's a must-play every time DeMarcus Cousins sits—and Cousins is doubtful for tonight's game in Oklahoma.
If you're looking to save some money on a small forward, Omri Casspi, Wesley Johnson and Andrew Wiggins all get plus matchups in fast-paced games. They'll all start and should get plenty of shots up.
And if you want to ride this Kawhi Leonard hot streak, I can't blame you. He's been the best player in the league for three weeks. I don't believe it's particularly close. The only problem with Leonard is that his team is clicking and they go so deep that they don't have to rely on him to hold leads.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Anthony Davis | vs. Pho | $11,000 | Dirk Nowitzki | @ Den | $5,800 | |
| Greg Monroe | vs. Ind | $7,400 | David West | @ Det | $5,500 | |
| Ersan Ilyasova | @ NYK | $6,100 | Luis Scola | @ Det | $4,800 | |
| Markieff Morris | @NO | $6,100 | Tristan Thompson | vs. Bos | $4,400 |
Anthony Davis ($11,700) vs. Suns
Davis is so fun to watch. I hate it when he goes down with a nagging injury. Please let him outgrow those little nicks.
Tonight, the Suns visit New Orleans. Per Basketball-Reference.com, the boys from the desert play at the second-fastest pace in the league and allow the fifth-most points per game. Phoenix's current starting lineup features a lot of size and strength on the perimeter (Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker and Marcus Morris), but very little height (Markieff Morris) and bulk (Brandan Wright) on the interior.
Davis should bully Markieff Morris and Wright on the low block. With the Pelicans' backs to the wall, look for the most efficient player in the league to lead his team to an important win.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Nikola Vucevic | vs. Tor | $7,700 | Roy Hibbert | @ Det | $4,900 | |
| Brook Lopez | vs. Was | $8,400 | Aron Baynes | @ Hou | $3,400 | |
| Enes Kanter | vs. Sac | $7,500 |
Roy Hibbert ($5,300) vs. Pistons
Hibbert's value has always been more evident in the wins column than in the stat sheet. For years, he's been teased for grabbing such a small percentage of the Pacers' total rebounds. But the Pacers always rebound better when he's on the floor.
Hibbert is an excellent challenger of shots. It sometimes forces him to move out of position to grab defensive boards, but he boxes out well and has improved his rebounding since Lance Stephenson left the team.
Tonight, Hibbert will do battle with the best offensive rebounder in the league: Andre Drummond. Though the young Pistons center excels on offense, he lacks discipline on defense. Hibbert should get to the line and fill up the stat sheet against a unit that yields the most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers.
